voigtlander,the best leica lenses in the world

[Matlock]

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11 hours ago, pippy said:

 Honorary mention goes out to the only Leica 40mm ever made and that is / was the 40mm f2 Summicron released in the mid-1970's for that era's Leica CL (Compact Leica) film body.

Philip.

Leica also produced the Elmarit C 40mm f2.8. I use one on my M10 as it is about the smallest Leica lens ever made.

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[pippy]

58 minutes ago, Matlock said:

Leica also produced the Elmarit C 40mm f2.8. I use one on my M10 as it is about the smallest Leica lens ever made.

Thank you, Matlock, for the correction; I had completely forgotten about the Elmarit-C!

Although I had heard about the lens I've never seen one in 'real-life' and believe they are scarce - especially relative to the 40 f2. I'd be interested to hear your views on how it performs.

Philip.

EDIT : OK! I did a little digging and, if the Breguet.hk site can be trusted (and I beieve it can), the 40mm Elmarit-C was never really part of the official Leica line-up and there were only 500 (maximum) of the Elmarit-C produced. The leica-wiki entry also confirms this number of production and the asking price seems to aim towards the Collector's Market sector.

Nice wee lens, though!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EX-Prototype-Leitz-Leica-Elmarit-C-40mm-f-2-8-For-Leica-CL-Only-500-/164333837032?nma=true&si=sVz9WljjfARCsDOomClS8XMdmpE%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/40mm_f/2.8_Elmarit-C

Just for fun here's the nice Mr. Rockwell's summation of the Summicron version;

https://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/lens-reviews.htm#40

Edited August 13, 2021 by pippy

[lct]

On the CL: 

 

According to Marco Cavina wrote (Google translation) « The Elmarit-C 40mm f/2.8 and its inglorious and premature end are repositories of various urban legends that have fueled a sad fame, to the point that this goal is now identified as a sort of "black sheep", a step false of the famous brand, an ugly duckling of which to speak as little as possible; curiously, this confusion of self-perpetuated prejudices is often based on rumors of uncertain origin, since only about 400 specimens of this objective have been produced, never officially put up for sale (it seems that the majority has changed hands at a symbolic price to appanage of the same Leitz employees), and very few have had the good fortune of a live empirical evaluation. » 
http://www.wetzlar-historica-italia.it/elmarit4028.html 

[Matlock]

3 hours ago, pippy said:

Thank you, Matlock, for the correction; I had completely forgotten about the Elmarit-C!

Although I had heard about the lens I've never seen one in 'real-life' and believe they are scarce - especially relative to the 40 f2. I'd be interested to hear your views on how it performs.

Philip.

 

Nowhere near as bad as some would have you believe and because of it's tiny size it is ideal as a carry everywhere record taker, I bought mine from an authorised Leica dealer when prices were still fairly sensible. Stopped down a couple of stops it is comparable with the Summicron.

Edited August 13, 2021 by Matlock

[fotografr]

On 8/6/2021 at 9:06 PM, charles tay said:

Does it make sense to own my first Leica M Body Camera M10 with Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f/2.0 Aspherical Lens? 

Absolutely! For quite some time my overall favorite lens on my M10M and M10R was the 50mm Summilux asph. Several weeks ago I came across and purchased a Nokton 50mm Nickel Heliar limited edition lens. I did numerous side by side comparisons of wide open sharpness, bokeh and flare resistance and the Nokton completely won my heart. I sold the Summilux. This little Voigtlander is very well made and a solid performer and never disappoints. It's an 11 year old lens and I would expect the technology has only gotten better since it was made.

Edited August 13, 2021 by fotografr

[fotografr]

Talk about flare resistance! I fully expected to have flare since these bright lights (the two in the center) were straight at me while shooting. I shot about a dozen frames from the same spot during this guitar solo and there wasn't a hint a flare in any of them.

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Edited August 13, 2021 by fotografr

[tom0511]

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Am 29.6.2021 um 00:31 schrieb steve 1959:

The brand is on fire with some spectacular performers.

35mm apo ,50mm apo, the new version of the 35mm f1.4 nokton to name just a few of whats available for leica or sony users.

I own the 40mm f1.4 sc which has been around for years but also the 21mm f1.4 aspherical nokton which features a floating element and amazing performance as well as top class build quality.

Comparison reviews on the leica v voigtlander APO  reviews? don't hold your breath on that as leica will not be offering any reviewers their  lenses for free.

My 21mm v the summilux ? nothing out there.

Is the voigtlander production line of sony/leica lenses good or bad for leica?

All the voigtlander lenses are easily available by the way at least in the UK [robert white] and others 

Why are lenses such as the noctilux reissue ,apo summicrom and even the 21mm sem hard to find when all voigtlander/cosina lenses can be purchased at the click of a button?

 

Late with my answer to the OP:

1. no, CV are not the best Leica lenses, because they are Voigtländer lenses (which ones are "better" I don't know)

2. 21/1.4 Leica vs Voigtländer comparison - Maybe hard to find since the Leica 21/1.4 appeared many years ago on the market, and a 21/1.4 is kind of a specialist lens and not so many people own one. I tried a 21/1.4 Leica years ago but found it to be not the sharpest lens. Since I don't need f1.4 in a 21mm lens, I gave it back. I now like the compact 21/3.4 M.

3. I think the CV lens line is good for Leica, and even better for us M-shooters, it is great to have many options/lenses for a system

4. I believe it is just Leica, they often have long delivery times for lenses; I don't like this, but it is how it is. I got used to it.

Personally I believe Voigtländer lenses are very very good (I only own a 15mm though)

Better than Leica? maybe different. Of course Leica is not bang for the buck compared to CV. I just know that right now my favorite M lenses are the 28/1.4 Leica and the 50 APO.

I also enjoy that I have codes on wider lenses, that I can send my body+lens together for calibration if necessary, I like the small size of the 50 APO and the rendering. I am convinced the Voigtländer APOs to be great lenses as well.

 

[pippy]

5 hours ago, lct said:

On the CL: 

 

Thanks for posting the Aug. 2019 thread, lct. Very interesting read!

Philip.

[hdmesa]

3 hours ago, tom0511 said:

Late with my answer to the OP:

1. no, CV are not the best Leica lenses, because they are Voigtländer lenses (which ones are "better" I don't know)

2. 21/1.4 Leica vs Voigtländer comparison - Maybe hard to find since the Leica 21/1.4 appeared many years ago on the market, and a 21/1.4 is kind of a specialist lens and not so many people own one. I tried a 21/1.4 Leica years ago but found it to be not the sharpest lens. Since I don't need f1.4 in a 21mm lens, I gave it back. I now like the compact 21/3.4 M.

3. I think the CV lens line is good for Leica, and even better for us M-shooters, it is great to have many options/lenses for a system

4. I believe it is just Leica, they often have long delivery times for lenses; I don't like this, but it is how it is. I got used to it.

Personally I believe Voigtländer lenses are very very good (I only own a 15mm though)

Better than Leica? maybe different. Of course Leica is not bang for the buck compared to CV. I just know that right now my favorite M lenses are the 28/1.4 Leica and the 50 APO.

I also enjoy that I have codes on wider lenses, that I can send my body+lens together for calibration if necessary, I like the small size of the 50 APO and the rendering. I am convinced the Voigtländer APOs to be great lenses as well.

 

The issue is Leica has been slow to update a lot of their older, low contrast designs (50 Cron v5, etc.), and they are being beaten for microcontrast and color by the latest Noktons.

[jdlaing]

Low contrast designs? There is no such thing. There are lenses that were designed a long time ago that have low contrast on today’s digital cameras.

[hdmesa]

4 minutes ago, jdlaing said:

Low contrast designs? There is no such thing. There are lenses that were designed a long time ago that have low contrast on today’s digital cameras.

However you want to frame it works for me.

[david.kize]

Maybe I will buy a 40mm Voightlander for my M10.   My most frequently used lenses on the M10 are the 35 Cron and the 50 Lux.   But for routine, amateur photography I like  focal lengths in the 40-46mm range.  This is because as a teenager in the 1950's, I owned a Kodak Signet 40 rangefinder camera and used it exclusively for about 20 years.  It had a built-in 46mm lens.  I learned to "see" images in that focal length.

I own a Voigtlander 40mm lens mounted on my Nikon D800 camera body.  It produces excellent images with renditions that are satisfying to me.  

David

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9 hours ago, tom0511 said:

Late with my answer to the OP:

1. no, CV are not the best Leica lenses, because they are Voigtländer lenses (which ones are "better" I don't know)

2. 21/1.4 Leica vs Voigtländer comparison - Maybe hard to find since the Leica 21/1.4 appeared many years ago on the market, and a 21/1.4 is kind of a specialist lens and not so many people own one. I tried a 21/1.4 Leica years ago but found it to be not the sharpest lens. Since I don't need f1.4 in a 21mm lens, I gave it back. I now like the compact 21/3.4 M.

3. I think the CV lens line is good for Leica, and even better for us M-shooters, it is great to have many options/lenses for a system

4. I believe it is just Leica, they often have long delivery times for lenses; I don't like this, but it is how it is. I got used to it.

Personally I believe Voigtländer lenses are very very good (I only own a 15mm though)

Better than Leica? maybe different. Of course Leica is not bang for the buck compared to CV. I just know that right now my favorite M lenses are the 28/1.4 Leica and the 50 APO.

I also enjoy that I have codes on wider lenses, that I can send my body+lens together for calibration if necessary, I like the small size of the 50 APO and the rendering. I am convinced the Voigtländer APOs to be great lenses as well.

 

I suppose i was saying that voigtlander are very likely every bit as good and sometimes better performers technically than leica with the recent influx of quality designs instead of just cheaper but weaker options for leica m users.

My two main lenses right now are my voigtlander 21mm f1.4 asph nokton and 1976 28mm elmarit version 2 so a bit of both companies products.

How is the 15mm heliar for you?

[Ralf11]

But can't many manufacturers make lens that are comparable performers technically compared to Leica these days?

 

My interest in Leica is the artistic (or arty) rendering.

[modenaboy]

On 8/6/2021 at 7:06 PM, charles tay said:

Does it make sense to own my first Leica M Body Camera M10 with Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f/2.0 Aspherical Lens? 

I love the Voigtlander APO Lanthar 50 on Leica M10 cameras. I am using it on an M10 Monochrome and have also used it on a color M10 as well. Here's a few pictures with it, most at f/2, but the photo of the car with the blown out background is around f/5.6.

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Edited August 14, 2021 by modenaboy
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[charles tay]

36 minutes ago, modenaboy said:

I love the Voigtlander APO Lanthar 50 on Leica M10 cameras. I am using it on an M10 Monochrome and have also used it on a color M10 as well. Here's a few pictures with it, most at f/2, but the photo of the car with the blown out background is around f/5.6.

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Wow the photos makes me keen on a monochrom sensor camera. My m10 is still with customer service for customizing leather color. Can’t wait to get m10 back and use my new lens. 

[charles tay]

38 minutes ago, modenaboy said:

I love the Voigtlander APO Lanthar 50 on Leica M10 cameras. I am using it on an M10 Monochrome and have also used it on a color M10 as well. Here's a few pictures with it, most at f/2, but the photo of the car with the blown out background is around f/5.6.

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Which other Voigtlander lens did you also get for your m10 ? 

[Harpomatic]

12 hours ago, david.kize said:

Maybe I will buy a 40mm Voightlander for my M10.   My most frequently used lenses on the M10 are the 35 Cron and the 50 Lux.   But for routine, amateur photography I like  focal lengths in the 40-46mm range.  This is because as a teenager in the 1950's, I owned a Kodak Signet 40 rangefinder camera and used it exclusively for about 20 years.  It had a built-in 46mm lens.  I learned to "see" images in that focal length.

I own a Voigtlander 40mm lens mounted on my Nikon D800 camera body.  It produces excellent images with renditions that are satisfying to me.  

David

Have you thought of the Planar 50mm F2 from Zeiss? It is a 45mm more than a 50mm. Stellar lens as well!

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[tom0511]

vor 16 Stunden schrieb steve 1959:

I suppose i was saying that voigtlander are very likely every bit as good and sometimes better performers technically than leica with the recent influx of quality designs instead of just cheaper but weaker options for leica m users.

My two main lenses right now are my voigtlander 21mm f1.4 asph nokton and 1976 28mm elmarit version 2 so a bit of both companies products.

How is the 15mm heliar for you?

I didnt mean that C V lenses would be weaker options. However I also dont believe they are overall better than Leica lenses. Probably it really depends on the focal length and lens.

Some CV lenses are pretty big, and as I said before they dont have coding. (Of course there are work arounds)

All I can say I am extremly happy wit the 50 APO (Leica). I dont doubt the CV 50 is a gret lens as well. But same here, when I bought the Leica there was no 50 CV APO. Would be interesting to use them side by side for a while.

I dont use the 15 any more, when I bought it I had either the rd1 or M8 with cropped sensors and therefore 21mm didnt cut if for me.

As far as I remember the lens worked fine for me.

Which correction profile you use for the cv21? Does the Leica M 21/1.4 profile work? 

 

 

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1 hour ago, tom0511 said:

I didnt mean that C V lenses would be weaker options. However I also dont believe they are overall better than Leica lenses. Probably it really depends on the focal length and lens.

Some CV lenses are pretty big, and as I said before they dont have coding. (Of course there are work arounds)

All I can say I am extremly happy wit the 50 APO (Leica). I dont doubt the CV 50 is a gret lens as well. But same here, when I bought the Leica there was no 50 CV APO. Would be interesting to use them side by side for a while.

I dont use the 15 any more, when I bought it I had either the rd1 or M8 with cropped sensors and therefore 21mm didnt cut if for me.

As far as I remember the lens worked fine for me.

Which correction profile you use for the cv21? Does the Leica M 21/1.4 profile work? 

 

 

There is no 21 f1.4 summilux profile so i use the 21mm f2.8 asph .

Glad you like your 50mm APO,that is all that matters at the end of the day.

Edited August 14, 2021 by steve 1959